Open Door

State of the Economy

      By no means am I an expert on the economy, but last night, the nation’s credit rating was down graded and the continuing state of the nation, churches, individuals, and even Open Door, is effected. Due to the economy, the finances of individuals supporting the churches has declined. Because the church finances are down, several congregations have had to cut or decrease the giving to missions. This has caused us not to be able to meet the monthly goals at Open Door.

     Like everyone else, we have been trying to cut back on spending and get by with less.  Wendy and I spend a lot of time turning of lights and unplugging things that don’t need to be left plugged in. We have tried to cut back on the food cost by purchasing only those things that are necessary and letting our supplies get lower before stocking up. We have also done a lot more self-repairs rather than calling in the professionals.

     One of the things I have been asking churches that have had to make these cuts is not to totally take us out of their budget. Often times when a church drops a mission because of economic reasons they rarely reinstate that mission when the giving comes up. But when church leaders make the decision to cut back with prayer and the commitment to revisit the situation a few months down the line they often find that God has provided the finance to increase support sometimes even more than they originally cut.

   Of course the big thing to remember is that all things must be based on faith in God. After all, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills”. As I like to say, “God has bigger pockets than you or I.” God can see  us all through financial woes. I have seen this in my life over and over again.

    If worse comes to worse, there are always alternative ways to support Open Door Christian Ministries. We are always appreciative of gifts of good, used clothing and shoes that you may have out-grown. Donations of canned and dry goods, cleaning products, and paper goods are helpful for bringing down our expenses. We accept food items that are grown in your garden or meat and fish that you may have from hunting or fishing. We have also had homemade blankets, quilts, and other art projects donated in the past.

    Besides donations, there are also ways that you can help raise funds. A young lady from Wilmington held an art sale for Open Door and raised over $700. Spaghetti dinners, walk-a-thons, golf tournaments, fishing contest, BBQ plate dinners, and other fund raisers not only help with the bottom line but help raise awareness of what Open Door Christian Ministries is all about and they help build a fellowship with those who sponsor them. Churches and youth groups who do fundraisers often find that they recieved a bigger blessing than those for which they organized the event.

     Another way to help out is to use companies that give donations to Open Door. You can register your MVP card on line and Food Lion will give a donation for every person registered. You can also use a search engine called goodsearch.com when you are searching for things on-line and they will donate to Open Door. If you need help with either of these ideas please call the office at 252-797-4602 and talk to Carla.

     You may be surprised to find that your employer may have a donation program. Take time to ask them if they would be interested in giving a donation to our children’s home. You may find hidden blessings in getting others involved.

     But perhaps the biggest way that anyone can help Open Door Christian Ministries is through their prayers. We appreciate the prayers for the past, present, and future residents at Open Door. We also appreciate prayers for our leadership, house parents, and other staff. Please pray that Open Door Christian Ministries will be here to help families and children in need for many more years.

     Thanks for your continued support and prayers for Open Door Christian Ministries.